Amazon: The Waters of Secrecy
by byakugan-master93
Summary: I'd always been taught to do what was best for the tribe; but, this time, in order to strengthen my people, I must marry a man I don't love - Sasuke Uchiha. The shadows in the water have begun to bicker and I find myself very afraid.
1. Chapter 1

Hi everybody

Hi everybody. This is my third story, and I hope you like it. Word of warning though, the story summary seems really stupid and a bit fanciful even to me. But I suddenly wanted to write it no matter how dumb. I apologize in advance if anyone of Brazilian heritage reads this story because I'm positive that it isn't the least bit accurate cultural wise or weather wise. I just wanted to use the Amazon Basin as the setting, and I completely made up the different tribes. Once again, sorry if the characters seem bipolar or OOC. And a tip that should help you better understand what's going on is: Mayuri is the same person as Sakura's mom and Tuku is the same person as Sakura's dad. Please enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

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Amazon:_ The Waters of Secrecy_

Chapter One: Something to Give

It was hard to believe that today of all days was the _**worst **_day of my life. The sky was the purest blue, and the surrounding forest was abundant with life. Unlike most days the heat and humidity were surprisingly bearable. Of course, this could only mean that heavy rains were coming – the beginning of the rainy season –, but I had always enjoyed the migration of my people to higher land.

The nonstop packing of personal belongings along with the gathering and drying of fruits whose trees would soon be submerged in water never failed to send a buzz of excitement through my bones. Though this year instead of being a part of that excitement I sat with my legs folded beneath me in a small hut that had been built on the outskirts of the summer village.

To my right sat my father. His bronze skin seemed to glow in the dimly lit hut as he sat with his back straight and his head held high. It was easy to see why he had been so sought after when he was my age.

His name was Tuku.

And to my left sat my mother – the perfect picture of a demure yet strong woman – she too sat with her back straight and her head up, but her eyes were respectably downcast. She was beautiful.

Her name was Mayuri.

My parents and I both know that they would do anything to protect me. So it's only to be expected that they would want to assure a happy future for their only child. I say this because sitting across from my parents and I, are the main ruling family of the Uchihas, a sister tribe.

"So it is agreed," Asked my father, "Sasuke will take my daughter for his wife in her seventeenth year?"

Sasuke's father, Fugaku, nodded his approval.

Without hesitation all present rose from the ground. Tuku and Fugaku nodded at each other, and then Sasuke stepped forward. Like his relatives he was fair skinned and had dark black hair, both were traits rare in the Amazon (save the rest of the Uchiha). Along with black eyes that seemed to hold an abyss of knowledge – a trait he shared with his elder brother, Itachi, who sat opposite him – he was without a doubt a handsome youth.

"I can't wait for our wedding day," he said to me. His voice was pleasant despite the fact that the words had sounded rehearsed. But I only lowered my head in respect.

The Uchihas left soon after.

My mother sighed before turning to me and giving me a wink. She had been waiting for this day for weeks.

'_Well at least __**she's**__ happy.' _I thought. A warm hand fell on my shoulder, and I turned to see my father, his eyes twinkling.

"Congratulations," he said proudly, "when the time is right you will rule over both the Nowyu and Uchiha with a strong husband at your side."

My father must have been drunk on happiness. There was no way I could ever be compared to Sasuke, prince of the Uchiha tribe, only overlooked. When we married **he **would rule, not I. I would only watch from the sidelines as a good and devoted wife should. In other words, I was just another villager when I was in his presence.

Oh! That reminds me. I haven't introduced myself. I apologize. My name is Sakura Haruno. I'm heir princess of the Nowyu tribe, a people located on the outer edges of the Amazon.

The Nowyu are strong, but my father believes in having allies. That's why I have to marry that boy, and why today is the worst day of my life.

"Sakura," Mayuri whispered in my ear, "you can go out now."

For a brief moment I wondered why she was whispering. Her eyes had a troubled look about them, and I couldn't help but remember how prone to sickness she was at this time of year. Could it be the fever? Tuku and I share a worried glance.

As if reading our minds she smiled reassuringly. "I'm fine. Go join your friends."

I could tell there was something she wasn't saying. But there was nothing I could do so I took her advice and headed for the door. Kagali should be down by the river anyway, and I needed someone to talk to.

As soon as I passed through the doorway the smell of roasting fish mingling with that of sweat and over ripe fruit assaulted my nose. The nauseating aroma had taken years to get used to but I loved it all the same.

Slipping through the foot-worn roads, I watched silently as people hurried in and out of small huts and shacks. Even young children busied themselves with menial tasks such as holding tools and fetching kindle. I smiled at the sight.

A few villagers bowed their heads in respect as I passed by. Others simply smiled or gave a friendly wave and shout. It was obvious that everyone here was happy, and I didn't want my sour mood to ruin anyone else's day. So, I plastered a fake grin on my face and continued in the direction of the river.

I had walked almost a quarter of a mile when I turned onto a roughly made opening in the dense foliage. A carpet of green covered a majority of the narrow clearing, making it hard to discern path from jungle. Thus, I paid close attention to where I walked so I wouldn't lose my way. Even in broad daylight getting lost was a simple task on the "road" to the river, and with the sun already low in the sky I prayed that I would make it back home before dark.

Trees towered above me providing shade from a sun that wasn't brutal. I shivered unconsciously. It was getting cooler and with the coming rainstorm I didn't want to get caught outside.

As my worries climaxed I broke free of the green forest and found myself a few feet from the soft dirt of the river bank. A few villagers knelt at the water's edge with empty pots in hand. I wondered at this because rain would be falling soon. I saw no need to gather water. Shrugging, I trudged up the bank, loving the feel of the dirt between my toes, as I searched for Kagali. Now that I thought about it Kagali had no reason to be here either. What if she wasn't here?

A flash of blue caught my eye and I calmed myself. I made my way over to a girl with beautiful cinnamon hair braided down her back and a vibrant blue sash around her waist.

She sat at the river's edge with her knees brought up to her chin and her arms wrapped about her legs.

I almost laughed at her contemplative countenance. With a streak of mud across one cheek and her nose scrunched in concentration Kagali was a sight to see.

"What are you doing," I asked. I wasn't surprised at how happy I sounded. It was always that way around Kagali.

She looked at me for a moment and then returned her gaze to the water, "I saw it again," she said simply.

I rolled my eyes in an annoyed manner, but pushed her playfully after I'd plopped down beside her. _'Not this again,'_ I thought.

"Kagali why do you insist on doing this to yourself? I don't mean to sound like a brat or anything, but _**I'm**_ the princess here." I sighed, "The princess who is now the victim of an arranged marriage I might add."

Her head whipped around at my words. "An arranged marriage?" she whispered. "That's what they wanted you for?" Like a true best friend Kagali's words were laced with just the right amount of pain, horror, disgust, and compassion. I almost hugged her then. I could always count on her to understand.

"My goodness," she whispered. Her eyes skimmed across my face before meeting my eyes again. "And you seem to be taking it well…You are taking it well aren't you?" She asked worriedly.

I nodded, "But enough about me," (No matter how understanding she was it wasn't something I wanted to dwell on.) "What about you? You say you saw them again?" I raised my eyebrow accordingly. This was a technique I used to show what I thought of a person's sanity.

"Look, I know you don't believe me, but I've seen them."

"**Them?**" I ask, "**Who** is **them?** For the last month you've been going on about **them**, yet you refuse to tell me exactly who they are?"

Her silence was expected and I only grunted. "Would you at least answer me?" I finally asked in defeat.

"What?" Kagali's head was turned away from me, but I was positive I had heard something.

"I said I don't know," she hissed.

I watched her for a moment as worry flooded my mind. This was going too far. When I had first heard this story from Kagali I had dismissed it as some silly game she had wanted to play. True she had never let up on the story, but Kagali loved to gain my trust before completely shattering it.

But this time she really believed it. I could just tell she did. I suddenly felt guilty for not being more supportive. After all I always used her as the outlet for all of my problems.

"Could you at least tell me what you saw Ali?" I asked, hoping that the use of her pet name would help a bit, "I want to believe you but," I struggled with my words wondering what was appropriate, "– there really isn't anything **for** me to believe. You're always so vague."

"They're only shadows," she said into her arm. I still couldn't see her face but I felt she was crying. "In the water, they're only shadows."

Her head lifted and teary eyes met mine. Not knowing what else to do I hugged her. As soon as my arms wrapped around her, harsh sobs racked her small frame. I cooed words of comfort in to her ear bewildered as to how I had overlooked such pain. I held her tighter in my arms, praying to anyone listening that I was actually doing some good.

By the time Kagali had stopped crying the sun was only a speck on the horizon. She sat up and rubbed at her eyes. I could tell by the way she avoided my gaze that Kagali was embarrassed.

"We should head back now. We don't want to get lost," I offered. The words were supposed to show that this little moment was between us, but she still sat rubbing at her eyes. "Everyone else has already headed back to the village, and our parents will be worried if we're not back in time for dinner," I continued. It was true enough. We were the only ones there and at night jaguars and other predators hunted. The village used great bonfires to ward the creatures off, but whenever anyone was away from their safety it was only natural for friends and family to worry.

"You must think I'm crazy, speaking of shadows in the water and all," Kagali said this with a heavy heart.

I shook my head, aware of the fact that she couldn't see me in the growing darkness – _'We need to hurry.'_ – and probed for her hand with my own. I gave up soon afterwards when I couldn't find it.

"No, I don't. I'm sure you saw something, but we just don't know what it was."

We sat there a moment longer, and when it was clear that Kagali had nothing else to say I brought myself to standup and dramatically stretched my limbs.

"Come on. Let's go," Kagali's voice said from behind me. I jumped. When had she gotten up?

Shaking the thought, I followed behind the vague shadow that was Kagali. Heading in the general direction of the narrow path we instinctively held hands. If we got lost we were getting lost together.

Once we had reached the foliage that marked the end of the river bank and the beginning of the forest we felt our way along until we had found the passage. I tried to walk as straight as possible because the small path sometimes branched out into another direction.

"Look," Kagali said from before me. "The bonfire's been lit." I looked up to the sky and saw the orange glow of fire just over the tree tops. "We'll just follow it back to the village," Kagali finished.

"If the fire's been lit then it's later than we thought. I hope we haven't missed dinner," I whispered in the darkness. Kagali's giggle sounded from in front of me. I smiled at this. She was feeling a little better.

"Don't worry we're almost there." And sure enough the path gave way to the familiar dirt road that led straight to the village.

"Kagali," I called. She answered with a sound of question, "when do you see…**them**? I mean where are you exactly, when it happens?"

"I told you," she began without hesitation, "I'm always at the river."

That night I was scolded for making my parents worry, but I didn't pay much attention. There was definitely something going on. What were these shadows Kagali spoke of? Could it be possible that they were all in her head or if they were real then what creature was making them? Was it dangerous? I was tempted to tell my father everything that night – he was Chief after all – but I decided against it. If I'd have told him I probably could have spared myself a lot of trouble. But so much would have been lost, so much would never had come to be. Still, it wasn't until the next day that my adventure truly began.

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Like the day before the sun shone brightly. Small rays of light snuck through the tiny cracks of my ceiling where water had dripped only hours ago.

I lay wrapped in the furs that made up my bedding while I shivered in the chill of the morning. My parents had woken sometime before. The smell of roasted fish and freshly peeled papaya wafted in through my door and I figured that Mayuri had stayed home; Tuku had left for a meeting with the village elders.

I sat up, still wrapped in my furs for I was afraid of the cold, and couldn't help but to bounce in a random bout of happiness. All the things that I wouldn't be using on the migration were safely packed away. The sac that I had stored them in sat bulging against the far wall and the sight of it caused me to smile in triumph. Because I had finished my packing so early the day was practically free.

I easily forced the thoughts of marriage out of my head not wanting to ruin the good feeling, and tried thinking of better things like my favorite breakfast that was undoubtedly in the kitchen or; of course, my birthday. True my sixteenth birthday had passed a few days ago, but with all the preparations I hadn't had anytime to revel in the fact. Today I planned to take advantage of my age and roam the forests _**free**_ of an escort – a right I had been denied of until today.

Finally letting my furs fall back to the floor I crawled over to a small stack of folded cloth beside my packed sac. Next to both items sat a small wooden bowl filled to the brim with cool water. A white cloth floated on top of the water, and I soaked it quickly. I gingerly removed my loose sleeping shawl trying to bare the feeling of cold air on my exposed flesh.

I slowly washed myself, taking note of the sweet smell of gongora nectar that my mother had mixed in. This bothered me. My mother had the habit of mixing my bathwater with sweet smelling nectars when she had something important to tell me. I mentally added this to my list of things to worry about.

When I finished I dressed in my thickest loin cloth making sure that the thongs of leather were thin enough to not be noticed. Over it I placed a simple long skirt. It was made up of two separate rectangular fabrics; the one covering my rear was wider and wrapped half way around my hips, the second one was much thinner and was only a little wider than my groin area. Both went only to mid-calf. These fabrics were fixed on my body by tying strings of leather and beads together so the front of my legs were always visible and my thighs were easily seen with too much movement. Even with such revealing clothes and being only half-dressed I already felt a bit too warm. The day wouldn't be as hot as it usually was, but this was still the Amazon after all. So, my top was a simple looped cloth that held firmly to my breast, and left my stomach out in the open.

"Sakura," my mother called, "breakfast is ready."

I started to leave the room empty handed when I thought better of it. Grabbing my snake skin bag – my grandfather had made it with the skin of an Amazonian tree boa – I stuffed a shawl made from ocelot fur into it along with some bangles I had received as a birthday present. This time completely satisfied I headed for the kitchen.

It wasn't much of a walk. I only needed to turn left before the hut opened up into the front room. The small straw house had only three sections. The first one served as a kitchen as well as a sitting area. The second and third were bedrooms whose doors were vertical to the kitchen. Basically the hut was like a giant T. The kitchen was the top line, the hall that held the bedroom doorways was the second and the spaces on either side of the second line were the bedrooms. The bathroom was outside.

"Morning mom," I said as cheerfully as I could. I hadn't forgotten about the nectar in my bathwater. "What's for breakfast?"

"Roasted piranha, papaya, and guava nectar," she said proudly. "Miguelle caught a few of them and they didn't bite through the net. So he decided to give them to me."

Miguelle was our top fisherman in the tribe. He was always generous with his catch and insisted that others take his most valuable fish. And catching a piranha was very rare so the fish had gained a reputation of worth.

"Why'd he give them to us?" I asked, watching as my mother removed the roasted fish from over the fire pit.

"He said it was an early wedding present for you. He wanted me to say congratulations."

I ignored the last part as best I could and focused on the fish that had been placed on a small wooden slab before me. Today was supposed to be a good day, so I couldn't think about _**that**_.

I waited patiently as Mayuri added peeled and sliced papaya, which had been placed inside an earthen bowl, to the food on the small manmade table – my father had carved it himself. She then turned to another small table behind her which was serving as her counter. Her body blocked my view, but I was able to hear the sound of liquid pouring. She came back with two cups of what I presumed to be guava nectar.

Once I was certain she'd settled I began to eat. The piranha was a welcomed treat and the papaya along with the guava nectar was the perfect combination of delectable. I was enjoying my meal so much that I didn't notice that Mayuri hadn't started eating yet. By the time I did notice I was already half-way done. I looked up at her only to find her looking back at me. Her gaze was analytical.

"Is something wrong?" I asked.

She was silent for a moment. "How do you feel about this engagement?"

I was about to give her my practiced smile when anger flashed across her face. "Do not lie to me Sakura. I want the truth!"

I felt as if the entire world had gone silent. Mayuri sat across from me glaring into my face with something akin to anger, fear, and pain.

I vaguely remembered a joke my father and I used to share about how hell would freeze over before Mayuri ever became angry.

"What do you mean?" I asked lamely.

"How do you feel?"

It was obvious lying wasn't an option. "Well I really don't know much about him," Mayuri continued to stare; "I wish … I wish I didn't have to marry him." I flinched when I was done not sure if that was what she had wanted to hear.

But Mayuri calmed considerably. I made a note to visit the village's doctor and inform him that my mother was suffering from some sort of illness.

"I thought as much," she said quietly. "But, don't worry. This is something that has to be done." I stared at her wonderingly. What in the world was going on here? Her sudden outburst and accusations – no matter how true – angered me. How dare she even bring up the subject? She must have seen something on my face because her gaze became hard again, "Do not do anything to mess this up. Sasuke Uchiha is a fine boy, and personally I feel you should have no qualms with marrying him."

She began eating her meal as if to say "This discussion is over" but a flame had long been burning within me and her words were the purest type of oil.

"You didn't even ask me," I yelled. "What if I just happened to be in love? Would you ask me to give up my life for someone else's happiness?"

"Yes," she said tersely. She continued to eat. I felt bile rise in my throat at her answer.

Suddenly the aroma of food and burning wood became sickening. I jumped to my feet grabbing my bag as I went. I couldn't be around my mother right then.

"This alliance will help our people. If you even think of opposing this––" I didn't hear the rest.

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Save for the encounter with my mother, the morning had passed uneventfully. I had visited Kagali only to find her still packing her belongings. Hair a mess as she spun around her room searching for _**this **_necklace or _**that**_ pin she promised to meet up with me if she could. Once I had dealt with her rejection I had decided to visit Thiago.

Thiago was Miguelle's son and also my only guy friend. He and I had practically been born together. On the night his mother, Yara, gave birth to him I had been born only minutes later. Despite the minor age difference there was a major one in maturity. Thiago could handle anything responsibly while I whined about it nonstop. He would have good advice on what I should do.

Of course I reached the cozy hut only to be told that Thiago had left hours ago and Miguelle didn't know when he would return. Not knowing what else to do I followed my original plan of roaming the forest, making sure to thank Miguelle for his help and the delicious piranha.

Now I sat under a large tree resting, tired from my grueling hike. I had traveled miles from the village by now and could only find my way back by following the Amazon River – its waters flowed only a hundred yards away from me. I relaxed against the tree's rough bark taking in my surroundings. The vibrant colors of flowers ranged from mysterious violets to cheerful pinks. Birds darted in and out of the trees each singing their own different song creating a pell-mell of sound. The green of leaves and the browns and blacks of wood only made everything else more surreal. I easily melted into the collage of colors around me.

_/Splash/_

Lost in thought my eyes had drooped closed but at the loud sound they shot open. I listened to see if I heard it again. I knew that curiosity was a dangerous quality to have in the Amazon but I just couldn't help myself.

Over the chirping of birds and insects I heard it again – a splash. As I rose to my feet it never came to me that I had possibly stumbled across Kagali's shadows. I sprinted across the forest floor, my footsteps light. Growing up in the wilderness had taught me a thing or two about stealth. I paid no mind when the sound of splashing led me away from the river's edge. I'd never been in this part of the forest before and thought a separate watering hole could be located somewhere amongst the foliage.

Colors blurred around me as my sprint turned into a flat out run. I no longer tried to hide my footsteps. The splashing had stopped and my curiosity had transformed into something more primal. I needed to know what it was I had heard. Pure instinct led me to my destination, but I had no idea as to where that destination was.

The trees around me thinned and I found myself panting in exhaustion at the edge of a clearing of sorts. I call it a clearing because it's the only way I can think to describe it. The trees here were few and far-in-between, but there were still more than just three or four. To say the least I was in awe. Such sparse plant life was unheard of even to my great-grandfather who prided himself on his various adventures which had led him to find wonders like those of the giant carnivorous plants.

My breathing was still harsh, but I had to know. My eyes curiously examined everything in sight. I gasped at the smoothness of one of the few trees around me. Why was the bark so different than the others in the forest? I squealed when I stepped into the sticky mud covering the ground. I had only encountered so much of the brown muck by riverbanks. Why was there so much here?

It was quite some time before I was able to concentrate on why I was there in the first place. Finding the source of the sound proved to be an easy enough task though. In the middle of the "clearing" sat the strangest hole I had ever seen. Ahead of where I stood, one side of the deep trench slanted at a dangerous angle. If someone wasn't careful the fall could be more fatal than a straight drop. Directly across from me on the other end of the hole – it had to be more than five feet long! – The slant of the earthen wall was less noticeable and was obviously more dangerous than the one I stood over. The third wall that made up the right side of the hole was also earthen, but it was the fourth that intrigued me. It was made of stone that was a mixture of white and gray. Small vines and patches of dirt protruded from cracks that had been carved over time, partially hiding the huge structure. I noticed that part of the rock seemed darker than the rest, but it was hard to be sure from where I stood.

I analyzed the slant of the ledge before me, taking note of the slightest depressions and areas that looked especially slippery. Satisfied, I concluded that it was manageable.

I eased myself feet-first into the trench; my arms straining to hold the load of my weight, for I had spread either arm to rest at the top of both sides. The hole was only about two-and-a-half feet wide. My legs slid slowly down the slope, and I struggled to find a crevice to jam them in. I hadn't realized how deep the hole was until its' opening was over my head. It seemed like forever before I finally reached the bottom. I strained my neck to look up at blue sky and green leaves. I guessed the hole to be a little over ten feet.

Bringing my eyes back down to Earth the full gravity of my situation presented itself. Knowing I was so closely surrounded by earth left me feeling nervous. In my ignorance I was afraid that the walls would collapse and trap me miles away from home.

It was in this nervous stupor that I recognized the sound of running water. The noise wasn't that of hasty rapids, but of a slowly trickling stream. It was gentle and slight. I was positive that the only way to hear it was to stand exactly where I stood.

I turned my head in the direction of the dark patch of rock that I'd seen from above. It was still there.

'_So it hadn't been a trick of the light.'_ I thought.

I moved carefully towards the strange rock avoiding the random jutting out of roots and sharp stone. It truly was a narrow passage. I was surprised to see that the dark rock wasn't rock at all, but a slight fissure in the land.

I pressed my ear close to the opening where the sound of running water was most prominent. Deciding whether or not to go in was the easy part. From what I could see there was no light, and if I had just found an opening within a hole then who was to say that this fissure didn't just lead to a much deeper hole. I frowned at the thought. There could also be poisonous snakes and insects in there. My frown deepened. Well, it _**was**_ possible.

I admit that I probably wouldn't have gone in if I hadn't heard that splash again. But I did, and I soon found myself squeezing into the tiny fissure sideways.

Rock's scraped across my partially exposed legs and stomach causing pain to shoot through my body. My snake skin bag was a burden in the tight space, and I found myself wishing that I had left it behind.

My eyes stayed open the entire time for I hoped for the faintest bit of light to see by. In this utter darkness I was painfully aware that I was completely surrounded by rock and soil and I wanted it to end soon.

Something moved across my foot and I almost screamed. Frozen by fear I listened to the slight rustle of dead leaves as the creature moved on. My only comfort in that moment was that whatever it was was heading in the opposite direction of my chosen course.

When it had moved on I started on my blind navigation again. This time my shuffling was a bit quicker. I bucked my toes repeatedly as a result of my quickened pace, but I refused to slow down. I didn't want to have to deal with anymore mysterious creatures.

The weight of the darkness on my wide eyes was unbearable. When would this tunnel end? As if my thoughts were magic the sweet smell of orchids filled my nose; instinctively, I knew my journey was almost over.

Smiling to myself I continued to quicken my pace. I felt as though I'd accomplished something great. My thoughts turned to the future and I wondered how I would tell Kagali and Thiago about my discovery.

The feeling was short lived.

With some amount of horror I realized the passage was narrowing. Rocks dug into my stomach more often and my bag constantly hitched onto the walls that were slowly but surely narrowing. I was convinced that if the tunnel led anywhere it wasn't reachable by this route.

Just as I was about to turn back that maddening splash sounded again. It echoed loudly in the confined space of the chasm as if to mock me. I strained my eyes praying that I would be able to make out something in the darkness.

'_What is __**that**__?' _

The shadows up ahead seemed a shade lighter – a desolate gray in the darkness. Maybe the exit was just up ahead. Ignoring the throbbing of my body and the warm trickles of liquid running down my stomach I snaked myself towards the gray region.

My heart pounded in my ears as the walls became closer; the rock was now digging into my back. In a last painful hug the walls squeezed unbelievably close. I pulled myself through the opening with a gasp, only to lose my balance and fall.

Mud splattered when I hit the ground filling my nose and mouth with the disgusting gunk. My hands seemed to move of their own volition to clean my face, but I stopped them when I found that they too were covered in mud. The snakeskin bag sat loyally by my side, it had miraculously avoided being dirtied.

"Where am I?" I asked allowed.

I had fallen into a small cavern that was about the size of my room. It wasn't much to look at so I chose not to make a fuss of it. What I was most interested in was where the light illuminating the cavern was coming from.

Finding a beacon in darkness is a simple task. I looked around the cave once and found the source of the light. To my right at the bottom of the stone wall a crawlspace had been carved out. I brought myself to my knees and made my way over to the opening.

The light was definitely coming from there. I molded my body so that I would fit after checking that my bag was securely shut. With a final breath I progressed into another tight space. As I crawled along I secretly dreaded my trip back home, all of these dark confined spaces weren't my thing.

The crawlspace was considerably short. It was only seconds before I saw small rays of light up ahead.

'_Something must be blocking the exit.'_ I thought.

With renewed vigor I used my arms and legs to push myself forward. The journey was almost over.

'_I wonder what's blocking the light.'_ Whatever the obstruction was I hoped I could get through it.

The smell of orchids, which I had first noticed back in the fissure, steadily became stronger causing me to imagine a fairytale world of beautiful flowers and clear blue water. There would be the most wondrous birds there – exotic even by Amazon standards. Butterflies would spring from the luxuriant plant life with every step that I took, the water would be so clear, so cool, so deep, and I would be free – I began to crawl slower – free from everything.

"Free from Sasuke," I whispered. Tears had begun falling down my face sometime ago. I didn't stop them; my hands were still covered in mud. "Enough," I scolded myself. "This isn't the time."

_/Splash/_

I felt the sound was agreeing with me.

The obstruction turned out to be a thick curtain of vines and white harrisoniae. The unique combination of floral scents was heavenly. I leaned forward, pressing my nose into one of the many petals sighing as I did so.

"These are so beautiful," I sighed. "What could be on the other side?"

Gingerly I parted the curtain of plants. The shock of light was expected, but I still winced, turning my head away from the bright opening. I kept my eyes turned away for awhile slowly allowing them to adjust to the light that was flooding the crawlspace.

When I deemed it safe I refaced the opening before me. A cacophony of birds and insect songs crashed into me as I poked my head out from in between the closely knit vines.

My eyes literally widened at the sight before me. It was better than I had imagined.

A glistening pool of water spread out before me almost identical to what I had envisioned, except that this pool was a breathtaking crystal blue. Flowers grew everywhere; some I had never seen before, others I knew to be extremely rare. Surrounding the body of water were several mini-islands of limestone and earth, each able to hold no more than five people, but still large enough to not be considered insignificant. Very few trees grew on the mixture of rock and soil, but their lack of number was made up for by their colossal size. All of this was held within the confines of equally limestone walls that towered above everything.

The sky hovered over me; I silently surmised that this meant there was a much easier way of getting here – hopefully that easier way was above ground.

I slumped against one of the enormous trees on "my" mini-island letting my head fall back against its' bark. The pain in my stomach throbbed viciously and I snuck a glance at the injured flesh. It wasn't too bad just a few scratches.

I applied pressure to the side of my stomach – there was less damage there- and winced when pain literally shot through my stomach and into my throat.

'_Yeah, just a few scratches,"_ I thought dryly. _'Some __**much**__ deeper than others though.' _

Moving carefully, so as not to disturb my stomach, I removed my bag from over my shoulder. I searched fervently for my ocelot shawl, it would have to do for a cleaning rag, and almost fell into the deep pool at the unexpected sound of a voice.

"One and three makes four. Four and two makes six." _/Splash/_ "Six and … nine! Six and nine makes fifteen."

I blinked in confusion. _'What in the world?'_ I thought.

My wounds long forgotten I leaned around the tree to see who was … counting?

I already knew it was a boy, the voice was a dead give away, but I was still interested. His back was turned towards me and he was – I stared – picking flowers. Cinnamon brown hair that was a shade darker than Kagali's cascaded down his back and disappeared into the dark water. He occasionally twisted slightly dropping a flower or two into a bag of canvas slung across his shoulders.

At the mere sight of a boy picking flowers, not to mention in such abundance, I would have laughed, but he went about it fervently as though it was of the utmost importance. His face was turned away from me, yet I found it easy to imagine a countenance of determination.

I watched as he examined the contents of his bag, "This should be enough," he said in a beautiful tenor. He began to turn, and I impulsively scooted closer to the tree. My eyes narrowed when he stopped.

"Then again, you can never have too much of a good thing," he said, his finger seemed to be on his chin.

Impossibly fast, he reached another of the many limestone islands. He picked each flower with deadly precision, never pulling out the root or removing the petals from the stems. With an expert eye he examined them, nodding his approval before gently placing them in his bag or frowning at whatever he found and throwing them over his shoulder.

In the few moments I'd known of his existence I'd already deemed him insane. Gathering flowers wasn't a crime, but I still couldn't wrap my head around exactly what I was seeing.

The brown haired boy spun around, and I ducked behind the tree once again. I listened with hard ears for the sound of rippling water. When I heard nothing, I slowly eased myself from behind the tree opposite the way I had hidden.

The water stood motionless. Nothing disturbed its' placid surface. Nothing swam in its' icy blue depths.

The boy had disappeared.

I pressed myself hard against the tall tree before me trying to hide from someone unseen.

'_Where did he go?' _I wondered.

Water splashed behind me. I quickly turned to face the opening of the crawlspace only to find the boy examining the orchids growing in great abundance upon its vines. Once again his back faced me – the lower regions of his body still submerged in water while his upper half leaned across the rock – and I was shocked by the fact that he hadn't noticed me.

Just as before, he began to place the colorful blossoms into his bag without the slightest hesitation. Now even if I wanted to leave I couldn't. Flower boy was blocking my only exit. Unaware of my thoughts he continued his gathering.

My father had always warned me to be wary of my curious and blunt nature, and I thought of him now. For inside me the strangest feelings were churning. I wanted so badly to confront this strange boy, yet I was so very afraid. I wanted to run from this strange atrocity that had revealed itself, but at the same time I wished for the strength to stand bravely before him. _'What should I do?'_

I analyzed the situation further and came to the conclusion that he would eventually notice me anyway. With this thought in mind I slowly stood from my hiding place. I was careful to make as little noise as possible moving across the stone island and soon found myself an arms length away from the object of my deepest curiosity. He didn't seem to take notice of my presence.

"Excuse me," I said. Two things happened at once then. First, the boy whipped around, incredulous eyes clashing with my own. Second, I heard my name being called and the distant sound of barking.

I looked to the crest of the stone walls surrounding me searching for whoever was calling my name – it was a mistake.

No sooner had I turned my head did a large spray of water soak me to the bone. Swiftly, I twisted to grab the boy who was obviously trying to escape. But my movements caused me to slip and before I could catch myself I fell headlong into the blue water. I was painfully aware of when my head struck something hard; the water around me soon bled crimson. For a moment I couldn't understand what was happening. I tried to focus but found that I couldn't. The muffled quality of aquatic sounds left me feeling dizzy and ill.

Water entered my lungs, I began to choke: I was drowning. Ironically enough the thought of death brought life to me, and I tried to cling to something. But the currents beneath the surface of the seemingly calm pool were powerful – where was the water flowing to? – and I was only thrashed about.

Then suddenly arms were around me. I focused enough to see that it was the strange boy who was holding me so tightly, and was bewildered by the worry lacing his features. Was he rescuing me? The eyes that had been shaken by my sudden appearance now shone with righteous intent.

He moved swiftly through the water avoiding rocks and debris. From the strange rush upon my face I guessed we were heading for the surface. Ever so slowly the edges of my vision began to darken and I felt unconsciousness sweeping over me like a cooling breeze. I wondered vaguely at his eyesight in such misted waters and his strength against the currents before finally succumbing to the nothingness that was oblivion.

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I woke to the sound of voices calling my name. With a groan I sat up. My stomach throbbed, and I easily remembered my trip through the narrow fissure. My head pounded, and I recalled the strange boy and his rescuing me from drowning.

"Sakura!"

The voices were closer now.

I checked my wounds and found them all to be bandaged with some strange plant. They hurt, but whoever had cared for them, I thought immediately of that boy, had done an excellent job. I continued to look over my bandages regardless of this fact and was soon curious about this different way of healing wounds.

'_Plants,' _I thought. _'Who'd have guessed?' _

Thunder crashed overhead and I was suddenly very much aware of my distance from home. Grimacing, I rose to my feet. I wobbled a bit, but soon regained my balance by holding on to a smooth barked tree.

I gasped. Smooth trunk? I had woken up in the small clearing that held the giant hole. I spun around not really sure of the reason for my surprise. Where did I expect to be?

"Sakura, there you are," a voice said to my right. It was Thiago. His dark brown hair fell down into his face, a disarray of spikes in some places and strangely smooth in others, but the worry in his eyes and voice made me ignore all of this. I looked up at the sky. It was late.

"Are you alright?" He asked, moving closer to me. I caught his swift glances to the bandages adorning my body.

"Yeah, I'm fine. What are you doing out here?"

He seemed angered by my question, "What am _**I**_ doing out here?" I blinked at him. "You disappear; have the entire Nowye and Uchiha tribes searching for you, possibly delay the migration by an entire day, and you have the ner––" His voice had risen, but I didn't mind. Thiago yelled when he was worried. That was just how he was.

I closed the gap between us with a hug. "I'm sorry," I whispered. "I didn't realize."

He pushed me away with such force that I thought he might strike me. But he didn't have to. His denial hurt more than anything else I had ever felt; worse than my own wounds.

"Don't," he said. "We wouldn't want to start anything."

To say I was confused was an understatement. Everyone in the village new that we were only friends and that was all we ever would be. Why was Thiago so worried? My answer soon appeared.

Sasuke sauntered out of the surrounding trees; a natural air of superiority about him. He was dressed in onyx furs and brown leather. Against them his skin seemed to be of the finest ivory. It was easily noticed how his legs and arms were wonderfully muscled or how his chin jutted out just so. Once again I found myself acknowledging his obvious beauty.

He paused some ways away; I watched smartly as his eyes darted from Thiago to me and then back again. I hadn't even married him yet and already he was destroying my friendships. I grimaced at the thought.

"Sakura, we've been looking everywhere for you," he said in a hushed tone.

I was silent.

"Did you get lost?"

"No, I just lost track of time," I said simply.

He made to speak again, but Thiago beat him to it. "We should get back to the others."

"Others?" I asked. It was only then that I noticed the glowing orbs of light among the trees – torches. I paled. "You didn't really mean it when you said 'all of the Nowye and the Uchiha tribes' did you?"

A ghost of a smile played across Thiago's face – he truly was trying not to be angry – as he headed in the direction of the other villagers.

"Thiago!"

"Well, maybe a few of the women and children stayed behind but…" I could almost feel the smirk spreading across his face.

Slowly I followed behind. I was aware of when Sasuke fell into stride beside me, but I decided to be polite and not glare at him. Truthfully, he wasn't a bad guy. If I actually thought about it, it became obvious that he too was a victim of the great injustice known as arranged marriage.

'_I could try being nicer.'_ I thought.

"So, what did you do today?" I asked gingerly. Sasuke turned his head towards me too fast to be healthy. Shock was evident in his eyes.

"W-what?"

"What did you do today?" I asked.

Once he had gotten over the initial shock he seemed to take the question very seriously. He furrowed his brows in concentration while his hands fiddled absently with a knife that had been strapped securely around his waist.

"Hunting," he said finally.

"Hunting?"

He nodded. "It may seem trivial, but I enjoy it. Plus it's something to do."

"I don't think it's trivial. I just thought that as a prince and all you'd have more important things occupying your time."

He raised an eyebrow, "And what may I ask have _**you**_ been doing _**Princess**_?" His voice had taken on a playful tone. I quickly reminded myself that I was only trying to be nice. I didn't want to give him the wrong idea.

"Wandering the forests," I said.

"Exactly, you shouldn't have an opinion about my day at all."

He returned his eyes to the forest before him. I took note of the slight spring to his step with disdain. What had I done? I had only wished to make an ally in this cruddy situation, but somewhere along the line I'd taken a wrong turn. _'Maybe I can still fix this,' _I thought hopefully.

"Sasuke?" His head turned once again. "How do you feel about…_**this**_?" He stared at me blankly. "I mean," I didn't want to say "us", "the marriage?" Understanding flooded his features, but he was silent.

"Well," I urged.

"I'm afraid to tell you," he said quietly. I prayed that he was disgusted by me. That way we could both oppose the marriage together.

"Tell me," I said eagerly. Sasuke stared at me a moment too long and I wondered if he'd mistaken my eagerness for something else. If so, I was failing.

"I'm looking forward to it." Like some sadistic counter weight, as my heart dropped his confidence rose. "It isn't like your … weird … or anything. You'll make a good wife. And to tell you the truth I think it'll be nice to have a family of my own, a family that _**I **_can support and look after." He moved closer. "What about you?"

After that speech I couldn't find it in my heart to actually tell him how I felt. So I lied.

"I'm just really scared." Sasuke nodded in understanding.

"Don't worry. I promise, you'll never want for anything."

At that precise moment we reached the main search party. The procession was made up mostly of men, but a few women could be seen here and there.As I walked into the crowd, welcomed by the joyful cries of my people and the Uchiha, I tried to disregard Thiago's enraged glare while simultaneously moving subtly away from Sasuke. Thiago had only walked a few feet ahead of Sasuke and me so I didn't doubt that he had heard every word spoken. He knew I was lying.

Amongst the crowd I spotted my father standing next to a young man not of our own village. _'He must be an Uchiha.'_ Both men seemed to be in the midst of a heated conversation. My father swung his arms about as he always did when caught in the passion of speaking, and the strange man repeatedly nodded his head in a fervent manner. Suddenly, the man shook his head "no", and began to speak. My father's face became ashen.

I sneaked a glance at Thiago to see if he had noticed the unusual spectacle. He had. But unlike me Thiago didn't seem to be very confused. Instead his forehead was wrinkled in anxiety. I quickly made my way over to him knowing full well that his anger would be gone.

"Thiago," I whispered into his ear, "who is that man speaking with my father?"

He glanced at me from the corner of his eyes before taking my hand in his own and pulling me in the direction of Tuku. "We're going to have a talk about what you said later." I instantly knew he was referring to my conversation with Sasuke. "But right now we have bigger problems." I was only further confused by his words; nevertheless, I allowed myself to be dragged along.

Tuku looked up when we were only a few yards away, relief flooding his features at the sight of us. But despite his beaming I could still discern how pale and distressed he seemed. I thought back to how my mother had behaved that morning at breakfast. Why was everyone acting so strangely? What was going on?

"Where have you been," my father asked, when we'd reached him and the strange man. "Your mother fell ill when you didn't return home."

Could that be it? Was it mom's sickness that had him so troubled? Somewhere in my mind a little voice scolded me for not being the least bit worried about Mayuri; however, I chose to ignore it. I opened my mouth to reply, but before I could answer the strange man gave a slight cough.

"_**That**_ can wait," the man said. Tuku looked at him oddly, but soon meekly nodded his agreement.

"Sakura," my father said, "This is Shikamaru," the man bowed slightly at his name, "He belongs to the Uchiha."

"It's very nice to meet you." I replied. I tried to use my most diplomatic voice. It was easily seen that this "Shikamaru" was an important figure.

"Actually," Shikamaru began, his dark eyes roaming over me, "its Shikamaru Nara. I'm not directly related to the main Uchiha line."

He continued to ogle me, and the funny thing is I didn't feel angry or disgusted at all. Something in his manner assured me that his actions weren't perverse but curious. I felt as though he was only gathering information or taking notes. I immediately wondered why.

Someone called out to my father, and Tuku soon left Thiago and me alone with the "Uchiha". If I wasn't mistaken he appeared happy to go. Shikamaru's attention had been drawn by the sudden events. He watched my father as though waiting for something, and I used the moment to acknowledge Thiago who had fallen back to stand behind me, as was custom.

"What was so important about this again?" I hissed. He spared me the most scathing of glances before completely choosing to ignore me.

'_Fine, I'll just find out on my own.' _ I thought bitterly.

Once again I focused on Shikamaru, and was shocked to find him looking intently back at me. An awkward silence followed. It was only intensified by the thunder that now crashed frequently above.

"We should hurry to follow the others Sakura, "Thiago said. The large group had begun to head back to the village. As if seeing him for the first time Shikamaru blanched.

"Thiago Nez?" He asked. Thiago nodded gravely. Shikamaru started to say something, but then abruptly stopped. He turned and left without another word.

"What a strange man," I inquired, hoping Thiago would take the bait. Whatever had just transpired between the two men had eluded me completely, but I was smart enough to know that it was vital.

Once again my question was ignored. This time I had sense enough to leave the matter alone for Thiago's eyes had clouded over, and he seemed to be deep in thought.

I pushed him forward some and was rewarded with a slow walk. We moved with the others through the forest; tumbling over uneven ground, shivering in the storm-chilled air, and listening for predators. Through it all Thiago stayed in his trance, and I used the opportunity to think of the flower picking boy.

I had already figured out that it was him who had rescued me. But where exactly had he gone?

Against my skin, the leaf-bandages rubbed smoothly. They were yet to be noticed, save for by Thiago, and I wondered why that was. A strong wind blew through the trees and caused me to shiver.

'_This storm's going to be bad.'_

Almost mechanically, my hand reached for my snakeskin bag. My ocelot shawl would keep me warm, but my hand met only air. I stopped abruptly and found that it was true – my bag was gone. In my shock I didn't realize that Thiago had noticed my distress and stopped as well. His eyes were still clouded, but he seemed to know something was wrong.

I tried to think of the last time I'd had my bag, and realized with disdain that it had been at the large tree on the limestone island. _'Right before I'd seen that boy.'_

How could I have forgotten it there?

I was just about to run off when a firm grip on my arm fastened me to the spot. Thiago must have known I planned to leave because he refused to let go. His eyes were no longer clouded. Instead they were vibrant with his stubborn conviction. I soon found that I had no choice but to follow as he pulled me along for the second time that night. With a frown I realized that I would have to go back tomorrow to retrieve my bag. My wounds that merely throbbed before now stung with each step, and I began to dread the coming hike even more.

Thiago whispered something, but I was so lost in thought that I hadn't heard.

"What?"

"You're bleeding," he said. I looked down to see that it was true. Somehow my wounds had reopened, and small rivulets of blood seeped through the leaves. _'Well, that explains the pain.'_ Fortunately, the wounds that bled were only on my stomach. My head bandage was still firmly wrapped.

Thiago led me to a tree on our left, and forced me to sit down. "Let's have a look," he said. Gently but quickly, we didn't want to be separated from the others, I removed the leaves. When I had finished I placed them on the ground beside me.

Thiago examined the small cuts and gouges littered across my abdomen. His face was calm, and I wondered if that was a good sign or not. He swiftly glanced up at me, and looked down just as swiftly when he found me staring back. I frowned. My day had been weird enough. I didn't need Thiago acting strange as well. He continued his examination, asking me to lean this and that way, while I watched the progression of people moving further and further away from us. Finally, he nodded appreciatively and moved away. For a second I thought I saw something in his eyes, but whatever it was, if it was ever even there, it was gone as quickly as it had appeared.

"Your wounds are quite clean," he said. "They aren't bleeding too much either. If we hurry we should be able to make it back to the village before they get any worse."

I nodded. Rising to my feet I caught him looking at me again. Only this time he didn't hide it. "Sakura, what's that supposed to mean?" He pointed to my stomach.

"What?"

"Right _**there**_," he said, pointing again to my stomach. At first I didn't see what he was talking about because it blended in so well with the surrounding injuries. But when I did see it I gaped. I barely registered when Thiago came to stand next to me. That's how shocked I was.

On the right side of my stomach in the lowest region that was almost my hip, symbols had been lightly carved. In English they stood for three words. Three words that scared, puzzled, and possessed me. _'What are they supposed to mean?' _

**Something To Give**

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Please R&R because your opinion matters. And I'll try to update as soon as possible. Flames are accepted.


	2. Neji

I finally updated

I finally updated. In this chapter there will be a lot less that happens (close to nothing actually), but don't think the story is a love-triangle between Sasuke-Sakura-Thiago. Please don't think that. I tried to make it clear that Thiago and Sakura are merely friends. Hopefully you enjoy this chapter and continue to keep up with the story. (Warning: The chapter is really short.)

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

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Amazon: The Waters of Secrecy

Chapter Two: Neji

The morning after I had discovered the strange words etched upon my skin the powerful storm, which had been earlier forseen, chose to strike. Rain fell in a torrent outside as thunder boomed and lightning flashed, and like the previous morning, I lay wrapped in the small furs that had been left unpacked for the journey soon to come. It was a pointless action. For instead of the lasting chill that settled upon me the day before, I found the air in my room to be warm and humid; strange when it was raining outside.

Sweat covered my body causing the furs to stick to my skin in an itchy mess. It was uncomfortable beyond words. But for some reason I couldn't bring myself to move. Even though I knew I had things to do and not much time to do them I continued to lie perfectly still. Perhaps I was exhausted from the events of the day before – absently my fingers roamed over the freshly wrapped wounds; as well as the words above my hip, the healing flesh throbbing as I touched it – or then again, maybe it was the dark mass of furs across the room that scared me into not moving.

Warily I glanced at the bundle; watching as it shifted ever so slightly. It stopped moving abruptly before starting up again, only to repeat the process.

As I looked on in annoyance the thing let out a quiet groan. Then it began to thrash wildly.

'_What in the world?"_ I wondered.

More than just a little disturbed I finally decided that it was time I got started. As quietly as possible I slowly began to rise from my bed. With light steps I stalked across the room easily avoiding the dark bundle and all of the problems that undoubtedly came along with its presence. Sweat rolled down my back, but I ignored the feeling. The last thing I needed was to draw attention to myself with unnecessary movem– "Where are you going?" I froze.

"Sakura, where are you going?" I unwillingly turned to face the owner of the voice.

Wrapped in the bundle of thick furs sat my only obstacle.

Sasuke.

Why was he here? Simple. My father had decided that any Uchiha who had helped search for me should be given shelter for the night. "It would be rude of us not to offer some form of gratitude, and besides a storm is approaching," had been Tuku's reasoning.

So, it was decided that the royal princes of the Uchiha – Itachi had come as well – would stay with the royal family of the Nowye. Sasuke in my room: "It's only proper," my father had said, and Itachi in our sitting room.

"Well?" Sasuke's voice broke me from my reverie. Said person now watched me from his temporary bed with the eyes of one caught in the clutches of paranoia. The darkness of the room only served to make his eyes even more unnerving.

He searched my face as he waited for an answer, obviously questioning my intentions – the nervous part of me wondered what reason he had to question them in the first place.

His eyes flickered downward, and I remembered what I was wearing. I felt very much exposed in my sleeping shawl, but thankfully he noticed my discomfort and averted his gaze so that we were once again looking into each others' eyes.

"Well?" He asked again, shoulders tense.

"The sun hasn't even risen yet. Why are you up?" His voice was harsher than before; his eyes more frantic.

"I thought I would start the fire," I lied deftly.

In truth I had actually been planning to sneak back to the clearing so I could get my bag. The plan had been to leave before anyone woke up and return before my absence was noticed. But of course I had failed before even starting. "Our fire wood should be soaked by now," I looked toward the roof where rain pelted harshly before returning my gaze, "so I thought I could try to dry some out before breakfast."

The following silence was torture. Sasuke continued to watch me; his eyes never leaving my own.

"That's a good idea," he finally said nodding. I almost jumped for joy, the grin spreading across my face was impossible to hide. "I'll come with you." My life was over.

"No," I said a bit too quickly. His gaze hardened. "You don't look well," I tried to explain. "You should stay here." But as I said it I realized it was true.

His face was pallid, and the sweat on his brow had nothing to do with the humidity that hung in the air.

"Are you alright?"

He blinked as though surprised. "I'm fine."

"It looks like you might have a fever," I said, moving to bring my hand to his forehead. When I felt the skin on his forehead I surmised that he really did have a fever. His temperature was way too high. Before I could further diagnose him Sasuke pushed my hand away.

"Sasuke?" I asked.

Once more I reached to feel his forehead. My hands barely touched him before trembling ones pushed them away.

"I'm fine," he whispered again. "But you shouldn't go out so early in the morning, especially by yourself." I took note of his subtle change of subject.

"I—I do this all the time." It was another lie. But Sasuke still hadn't moved from his position on the floor and I didn't want him following me, especially with a fever.

"You do this all the time?" He said with an eyebrow raised skeptically.

"Yes, I do." He watched me for a bit longer before moving to get up.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"What does it look like?"

I stared at him blankly, stupidly hoping that my silence would change his mind about coming. Sasuke sighed– the sound was an insult to my intelligence. "I'm coming with you," he said slowly. I vaguely wondered if the slowness of his speech was due to the fever or if he was just being rude.

"Wha– why?" I spluttered. He glared at me. I was trying to stall for time. What could I say to dissuade him?

"Sakura," Sasuke sighed again, "I just think it would be safer if we both went."

"Both?"

"… Yes…It's safer for two people to go out into the forest opposed to only one." Along with those words came an idea. I remembered the look he had given both Thiago and I in the clearing, almost as though we were guilty of something. I stopped the grin that threatened to spread across my face hoping that this would work.

"If it's me being alone you're worried about then you might as well go back to sleep. Thiago and I always collect firewood together."

At the mere mention of Thiago's name Sasuke went rigid.

Knowing that my ill-devised plan could easily backfire, I quickly grabbed the bundle of clothes I'd put out the night before, and headed out the door. Sasuke would most likely follow, so I had no time to waste.

In the front room where Itachi should have been sleeping I found a neatly folded pile of furs instead. Not really caring about the elder Uchiha's whereabouts I only hoped that I wouldn't run into him.

Rain drenched me as I sprinted out of my home and around the web of huts that made up my village, but it was a warm rain and I easily ignored it.

Frantically, I twisted to see if Sasuke was following me or not causing me to loose my balance and fall.

I pulled myself up before heading in the direction of Thiago's hut. I was _definitely_ making this up as I went.

First I had to warn Thiago about Sasuke before I left the village. That way if Sasuke confronted him Thiago wouldn't be caught in a lie.

Mud flew as I skidded around one final corner before reaching Thiago's hut. The cozy wooden structure was a bit similar to mine, but was shaped sort of like an "I" instead of a "T". Like in my home, the top line was the front room where eating and family time occurred. The second longer line was a hallway with Thiago's room on the left and his parents' room on the right. The last line was a second hallway which made all the difference. Because Thiago's father, Miguelle, was the village's fisherman the hut had a separate room where fishing supplies were kept. The room was narrow and parallel to Thiago's and it took up half of the second hallway. The other half of the hall was the entrance to Miguelle and his wife's room. (While Thiago's room door was on the main hall his parents had to turn a corner to enter their chambers.)

I slowly lifted the grass curtain that served as a door, making sure the obstruction didn't make too much noise. Once inside I waited. It didn't sound like I had woken anyone up.

The hut was dark. It was pure familiarity that stopped me from running into anything, so it was with ease that I made my way down the hall before turning in to Thiago's room, which, like everything else, was sparsely furnished –a bed of furs, a table for clothes, and a washing basin. I knelt at his side before roughly shaking him by the shoulders.

"Thiago," I whispered harshly, "wake up."

Said boy opened one eye before groaning in what could only be described as torment. "Sakura, what are you doing in my room?" He asked exasperated. "What are you doing in my _house_?" As he spoke he lolled his head back as if by mere will alone he could make me disappear.

"I need your help," I told him. "But first, do you mind if I change here?"

He turned his head to look at me, "And why are you only wearing a shawl?" I began to get irritated. He still hadn't answered my question.

Sensing my hostility he nodded his head before turning to face the wall. "So what's up?" He asked. It was random, but then again what would you do if your best friend showed up one morning asking to change in your bedroom.

"Nothing really, I'm just avoiding Sasuke."

"Avoiding Sasuke?" I could imagine his annoyed face. "Sakura, the sun hasn't even risen yet. What could he possibly do to make you have to avoid him _now_?"

I pulled my long dress over my head before placing my arms into the proper holes, "He's … clingy."

"Clingy?"

"Yes, he wants to follow me everywhere," I was exaggerating.

Silence.

"I'm done."

Thiago turned back to face me. "And where was he trying to follow you _to_ so early in the morning. You know no one is allowed outside before the sun rises."

I sighed, "Look, I've already wasted enough time. I'm just here to ask you a favor."

Thiago considered me for a moment before shrugging. He probably figured that by playing along he could get back to sleep sooner.

"I told Sasuke that you and I were going out to dry wood for breakfast."

He blinked. "If you think I'm getting up to dry firewood you're insane."

"Listen," I hissed. "I told Sasuke that you and I were going out to dry firewood, but the truth is I have something else to do." Thiago raised his brow. "So if before I return Sasuke comes looking for me, just tell him that we finished a while ago and that you don't know where I went. Can you do that for me?"

"Well-"

"Thiago!" I whispered.

"Fine, just hurry up and leave. I need my rest."

With a quick bye and a smile I retraced my steps out of the hut and into the storm outside. My eyes quickly scanned the empty mud-ridden roads. The coast was clear. Now all I had to do was reach the clearing, get my bag, avoid being eaten, and return home before my absence was noticed, or better yet before Sasuke found Thiago.

I was so lost in thought that I didn't notice the dark eyes that watched me as I went.

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The clearing was just how I remembered it – muddy, damp, and filled with smooth-barked trees. As I trudged over to the large hole in the ground, the squelching sounds of my steps were loud and annoying.

I stared at what was left of the wall I'd used the day before. The pelting rainhad reduced the soil to mud making it impossible to climb down.

'_Maybe I can find another way in.'_

A glance to the brightening morning sky banished such thoughts. If I was going to get home on time I'd have to use this entrance.

Grudgingly I sat down beside the hole, facing one of the earthen walls. With a deep trembling breath I pushed myself over the side into the chasm.

I let out a shriek only to have the air knocked out of me when I struck the ground below. A quiet groan escaped my lips as I rose, nursing my rear. _'This place isn't good for my health,' _I thought.

"Alright, let's get this over with."

I reached the fissure on the other side of the rock, half expecting it not to be there; luck seemed to be against me today. But thankfully it was there.

However as I began to squeeze through the opening I noticed something; etched right into the stone wall were the words** "****Something To Give" **just as they had been carved into my skin.

Not sure what to make of it I squeezed into the fissure, more warily than before, and quickly made my way through the tight space. The tunnel appeared to be much shorter than yesterday, and it wasn't long before I found myself within the room-like chamber leading to the crawlspace.

Aware of how little time I had left, I crawled vigorously towards the vine-strewn exit. If I hurried I could probably get back to the village by breakfast, and with that thought in mind I broke through the green curtain.

Now, there are many things I expected to find once I entered that clearing. One of which was the possibility of discovering the pool to be a mere figment of my imagination. I even expected to find Sasuke– maybe he had followed me after all. But what I didn't expect was to be tackled.

On reflex I screamed. Strong arms slammed me against the limestone with inhuman strength before calloused hands wrapped around my throat cutting off the high-pitched sound.

"What are you doing here?" A voice hissed.

I struggled to look up at my attacker; my eyes widening as I took in the almost colorless eyes that glared back. He wore brown furs and leather, simple but well made – perfect for this kind of weather. Cinnamon brown hair tickled and stuck to my face, and it was all I could do not to faint. It was the flower boy.

I stared at him. He seemed to realize he was choking me to death when I didn't, or I should say couldn't, answer him. Quickly he released me causing my head to drop hard against the limestone.

"You really shouldn't be here," I heard him say. His voice held a hint of anxiety. "You need to leave _now_!"

With a groan I rolled over, bringing myself to my knees. "Why should I?" I asked in defiance. Truthfully I didn't want to stay long, I _couldn't_ stay long, I was just angry because he had cost me a head injury… _twice_.

"Leave," he said more harshly, "and don't come back here again."

I turned my head to glare at him. "Look, I don't know who you think you are, but I don't have to listen to you. I can stay here if I want."

He shook his head as if I were a child, but he didn't try to force me to leave.

I looked up and found that the sun was almost up. I was running out of time.

"I'll leave if you want me to," I said urgently, "but I need to find something first."

He considered me for a moment before nodding slowly. "What are you looking for?"

"My bag," I said.

Without a word he turned and walked to the same tree I had hidden behind. I thought I heard him mumble something along the lines of "I knew she would be trouble" but I wasn't sure.

For a second he disappeared behind the trunk, but just as soon as he'd left my line of vision, he returned to it. I smiled when I saw my bag hanging from his arm.

"Here," he dropped the bag at my feet, "now leave."

"Fine," I said tartly. My bag in hand, I prepared to run for home. But once again something unexpected happened.

In a flurry of motion Flower Boy was beside me, pulling on my arm and forcing me away from the crawlspace. I tried asking him what he was doing, but a quick blow to the stomach left me breathless, and before I knew it I was being shoved into a crevice made by the large tree's roots. What was with this guy?

He crouched next to me covering my mouth. "I think you were followed," he whispered.

'_I __hope__ I was followed, psychopath.' _

He grunted before backing away from me. "False alarm," he seemed annoyed.

I stared at him in wonder. He really was insane.

"What are you talking about?" I asked quietly.

The flower boy ignored me. His eyes darted back and forth frantically as he slowly turned his head.

"Excuse me--" I stopped. What was his name? Definitely not Flower Boy. "What's your name?"

That got his attention.

"What?"

"What's your name?"

He stared at me for a moment with those pale and pupil-less eyes, "…Neji," he said.

"Oh…well _Neji _what was that about?"

"Get ready," he said.

"What?"

"Get ready," he hissed. "If you plan on leaving here alive you don't have much time to do it!" I blinked. "I won't be able to save you a second time." As he said it he picked a small white flower from the bark around us and stuck it in my hair. The frown on his face along with his earlier actions made the gesture unromantic. But somehow I knew that it wasn't supposed to be. "Keep that with you," he said, referring to the flower in my hair. "Can you swim?" Somewhere in the distance a tapir cried out. I was beginning to get scared. What was going on? "When I say go, jump into the water and head for that wall," he pointed to the flower-covered wall where I'd first seen him, "Once you reach it dive down and you'll find an opening there."

"Get ready," he said again. I could hear voices in the distance. The sound fluctuated. Rising and dropping to inhuman pitches. _Chanting._

My heart thudded in my chest as I realized that Neji wasn't crazy. Something was really going on. "What do I do once I reach the opening?" I almost shrieked the question; I was finally taking him seriously.

"Don't worry. You won't have to do anything," he smirked. I felt my cheeks go warm. Well this had never happened before. I quickly decided that my lack of "girl talk" with Kagali was affecting my hormones.

"Go!" He suddenly yelled.

I stumbled as I ran, question after question racing through my mind as I went.

I felt something whiz by my ear, and I sped up. Neji yelled somewhere behind me, and my chest clenched painfully at the sound.

When I reached the pool I dove into it, quickly resurfacing when I remembered the currents. I pulled myself through the water, and in no time I reached the stone wall and dove down again. Like before the water was murky, but this time it was worse. Debris was everywhere from the storm.

With some difficulty I swam further and further down. Where was the hole?

Like clockwork the opening appeared, and I instantly understood Neji's words. I really _didn't_ have to do anything. There was a natural suction drawing me in and I let it.

The water flung me about violently crashing me against the rocky walls. My hands flew to the flower in my hair, holding it in place.

My body ached from both my old and new injuries as well as the painful pressure of the water. The constant thrashing made me gasp and I took in water. But before I could panic I was flying through the air hitting the water below me hard, crying out as the liquid flew up my nose.

The water was clearer here, and if it was even possible it seemed familiar.

I resurfaced with a splash, spit dribbling from my mouth. "Uhh," I groaned.

"Sakura," I looked up to see Kagali waving from the bank. "What are you doing out there?"

No way. The waterfall by our village led to … that place?

"Kagali?" I swam slowly to the bank. My body ached with every stroke. "Answer me one question." She gave me a confused glance. I hoped she hadn't seen me fall from the waterfall. "Did I miss breakfast?"

She laughed. "That's just like you, always worried about your stomach. It seems like whenever we meet here you ask about mealtimes," Seeing my tired face she decided now wasn't the time for joking. Besides, she might not have known it but I wasn't worried about not eating. I needed to know if I could still sneak back home unnoticed. "Breakfast isn't for another hour or so."

I pulled myself out of the water, missing Kagali's disturbed glance. "I still have time then," I mumbled.

"Sakura, you look awful." I didn't find that hard to believe. "Come on let's head back. We'll get you cleaned up."

"My family can't know I left," I told her. I used her shoulder to pull myself up.

"I know. Thiago told me." She looked down at my hand. "What's with the flower?"

The flower Neji had given me was clutched tightly in my hand. He hadn't told me why but he had asked me to keep the small gift with me. I sighed. I had been so caught up in everything that I'd forgotten to ask about the words on my hip. What did they mean?

Kagali and I stood silent for a moment; she was waiting for an answer and I was just pondering.

"Come on," she said again. "Tonight is the gathering, and then tomorrow we just… hang out, and then finally we'll be on our way to the second village."

"Aren't you excited?" She asked when I didn't respond.

"Kagali," she looked expectant. "There's something I need to tell you… but not now, later… tonight. I need to tell both you and Thiago something."

She nodded, obviously not thinking much of what I'd said. I didn't blame her. I rarely had anything important to say, and I often overreacted. But what was going on?

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Okay this chapter was much much shorter than the first (Only 14 pages), and that's because I'm lazy and uncreative. And yes I know it was choppy and rushed, but please flame me if you feel you still have to. I just sorta needed this chapter to add somethings into the story. So if you have any complaints please just either review or e-mail me. (Am I allowed to post my e-mail address? If not please tell me so I can take it down.) 

Anyway, Who was watching Sakura? And what happened at the … place?

Important Questions: (1) The place where Sakura has been meeting Neji… what should I call it?

(2) Is my writing is repetitive?

Once again sorry. Please R&R.


	3. Paranoia

Sorry, for the wait. I've been away from home for a while, and I've been working on updating another one of my stories.

Special thanks to all of my reviewers, especially **Chriss101 **and **Umi no Kaiso. **I decided to go with **Chriss101**'s idea of Misuteri for a name for the pool. But I definitely plan to add your idea into the story as well **Umi no Kaiso**.

**Notes for chapter 3: (1) **I'm not the best writer in the world so I may not get everything that needs to be in this chapter **into **this chapter. So here's what you need to know. Basically, the tradition of Sakura's tribe's migration is that they should take five days to migrate. THIS IS IMPORTANT!!

On the first two days the tribe basically packs and prepares to leave. On the third day the tribe holds a celebration of sorts (at the end of the second chapter Kagali talked about this very briefly). On the fourth day everyone just rests and gives thanks. And finally on the fifth day they migrate.

Anyway here's the next chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

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Amazon: _The Waters of Secrecy_

Chapter Three: Who's "San"?

Intent eyes watched as birds flew across the azure morning sky, their owner curious of the small mammals' fluidity of movement. The small birds flitted swiftly overhead in a showoff-like manner, as if noticing the persons' keen interest.

Said person smiled at the sudden show of beauty; the gesture slight and shy.

He was a boy of about seventeen, and he sat perched between two branches high above the forest floor. His hair was a brilliant crimson, contrasting greatly with his pallid skin and jade-stone-eyes.

He wore dark furs that seemed almost black but in actuality were brown– once again only exaggerating his paleness.

The boy sighed contentedly. He would enjoy this for as long as he possibly could he thought. His eyes closed, but were quickly forced open once again when somewhere in the distance thunder sounded.

The skies were still clear, but the rainy season had started days ago. A storm could hit in an instant. "Maybe I should head back," he whispered. It was a painful sound– meager and hoarse. The boy coughed. Yes, he should get back.

"Gaara, get down here," someone yelled from below. Gaara looked down shyly before a look of confusion, embarrassment, and happiness crossed his face all at once. Neji stood at the base of the tree looking very irritated with a blurred splash of purple close beside him.

The red-headed boy stole one final glance at the dancing birds before swinging himself to a branch a few feet below him. Slowly he worked his way down, pausing whenever he thought he felt a coughing fit coming on; in these instances he would crouch down as best he could and breathe deeply to get rid of the feeling. When he finally reached the ground he found Neji still waiting.

Upon closer inspection Gaara realized that the splash of purple was a flower. Neji twiddled the small plant between his fingers lovingly, while his eyes stared angrily at Gaara.

"What were you doing?" The brunette asked.

Gaara was quiet for a moment. "Enjoying myself," he said finally. His hand slid deftly into a small pouch hanging from his waist.

"Not that there's anything wrong with that, but could you maybe tell someone next time," Neji scolded. "We thought you'd disappeared again."

Gaara shrugged. "I'll try," he said in his raspy voice. Silence fell between them. "What's happening?" Gaara asked suddenly.

"What do you mean?"

"What's my…purpose this time?"

Neji sighed. He should've seen this coming. "Come on. We need to head back home before the storm hits." Thunder boomed again. It was closer. "I'll fill you in as we go."

Gaara simply nodded and fell into step beside the long-haired boy. He was curious as to what he was needed for, so he did as he was told.

"All you need to know right now," Neji began, Gaara tilted his head. "Is Sakura."

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By the time I'd gotten home that morning, my parents were already awake. Tuku sat over a cup of steaming tea and my mother seemed to be making a large breakfast. I looked around for any other sign of life, but it was just the two of them.

"Have the Uchiha left?" I asked.

"No," my mother said stiffly. I glared at her. Ever since our fight the day before, me and my mother had been on the worst of terms. If you asked me, I would just say that she was full of herself. My father looked on in worry from his seat around the table.

"And where have you been?" My father asked, trying to lessen the obvious tension in the room.

"Taking a bath," I lied for the umpteenth time that day.

Tuku looked up from his tea with a skeptical eye, taking in my soaked bag and person.

He shrugged, "Believe me my daughter I want nothing more than for you to embrace hygiene, but–" A smile passed his lips. "Could you maybe take _off _your belongings first."

I felt my heart lift at his playful tone. "But father," I said mockingly. "I think I'm cleaner this way."

We both erupted into laughter at our childish antics. My anxiousness had disappeared and had been replaced by humor. Tuku could fix anything. Unfortunately though, the moment was short lived.

"Would you two stop it?" Mayuri snapped.

We fell silent. "Mayuri," Tuku said suddenly, his voice confused. "What has gotten into you?"

I really wanted to here this.

"I've already told you!" My eyebrow rose in curiosity. "All I want is for my daughter to be happy. I want her to marry and be promised a secure future." Her voice dwindled down to a whisper. "But something always gets in the way."

"My love," Tuku began. "That's all anyone wants."

My mother glanced at me before turning back to the greens she'd been chopping. "I've spoken to Sasuke." This couldn't be good. "He says that he wants to respect our daughter's wishes along with her family and friends, but he's beginning to feel ignored."

I watched my father for any sign of what he thought so far. He seemed only more confused than before.

"The day Sakura went missing," Mayuri continued. "Sasuke found our daughter in the arms of _Thiago_," she spat his name. "Even the villagers feel that she is spending less and less time with Kagali and more and more time with _him_." I turned back to Tuku to find a worried expression upon his face. "And apparently, she told Sasuke that she usually sneaks out with Thiago to do who knows what."

'_Oh no,'_ I thought.

"Exactly where did you say you were this morning?" She asked, her knife thudding hard against the wooden table.

I blinked. Well, that plan had backfired on me.

"I'm afraid she'll ruin the marital arrangements if she continues this…," she dropped her knife for an instant and waved her hand wildly in the air, "this…this… _**monkey business!!"**_

Tuku turned to me, his face pleading for me to say otherwise. I simply stared back. Everything my mother had said wasn't necessarily true (Thiago and I had never snuck out of the village), but they _had_ been my own words.

"I have a meeting with the village elders," my father said once it was obvious that I wasn't going to respond. "We'll talk later."

"Bu–"

"_Later_," he pleaded with Mayuri. "Tonight is the gathering; a time of celebration." He turned his eyes to me. "Later," he said with finality, and although his voice was soft I saw fire in his eyes.

He rose from around the table and headed stiffly towards the door. "You will not leave Sasuke's side today," he addressed me, stopping at the grass curtain. "Wherever you go he goes. Wherever he goes you go. Understood?"

I nodded, feeling very solemn. Everything was just rules on top of rules. I was a bit grateful that I hadn't been forbidden to see Thiago, but why did I have to drag Sasuke around like he was some sort of kid. My mind instantly brought me back to the pool. There, there were no rules; just beauty, and that flower bo- I mean Neji.

I unconsciously gripped the small white blossom in my hands. _Neji. _I barely even knew who he was, but at least he wasn't a part of my hectic family life.

A small smile began to make its' way to my lips until I remembered that _**that **_place wasn't even safe.

I trudged past my mother, who was now officially ignoring me, and headed for my room; all the while silently hoping that Neji was alright as I dragged my soaked bag behind me.

When I finally reached my room, the first thing I did was glare at Sasuke. He lay on his back bundled in his furs, a small wet cloth over his forehead. He looked awful.

'_He can't follow me anywhere even if he wants to," _I thought smugly.

"You told," I hissed.

He let out a short grunt. "I was worried," he said simply.

"Do you know what kind of trouble you've gotten me into?" He looked at me curiously as if he were waiting to hear my punishment. "_**I **_don't even know. That's how angry my father is!" I had purposefully left out his tailing me everywhere: that was none of his business and I was smart enough to know that it also wasn't my punishment.

"I'm sorry," he said. "But as I told you before, I was worried."

Giving his furs as wide a berth as possible, I stomped over to my neatly stacked clothes before dropping my bag, which landed with a plop, and quickly pulling out my ocelot shawl. I grimaced at the smell of wet fur. I'd have to wash that.

After putting my bag and its' contents away I reached for an object that rested in front of me on the floor. It was a small wooden box, another gift from my grandfather, stuck in a very thick but very small piece of ocelot fur. The small cut of fur had been meant to serve as a hat that would protect me from the rain, along with my shawl. But I had chosen to use it to protect the small box.

I ignored Sasuke's watchful gaze and instead carefully removed the wooden structure. Lovingly I cradled the white flower Neji had given me. I opened the box and placed the blossom inside. It already contained a few trinkets. Trinkets such as string, a needle made from jaguar bones, a note from Kagali, a tribal charm, and some dried herbs.

The flower would be safe here.

"Who's that flower from?" Sasuke asked.

"I picked it myself."

I quickly placed the box back into the hat, and bundled everything up. Turning, I found Sasuke staring intently at the things in my hands.

I **hoped **it would be safe here.

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Gaara quickly followed Neji through the dense forest; almost stumbling a few times as they went. However his clumsiness wasn't because of the challenging pace, but instead it was because of his wavering concentration.

Neji had abruptly stopped his explanation after telling the red head that his assignment was to watch over a girl named "Sakura". With such vague details Gaara couldn't help but wonder who exactly this girl was. What made her so important that he himself had to be called in?

"Neji?" Said person turned his head slightly. "When will I meet her?"

"Tonight," he said. "Her village is holding some sort of ceremony. From what I've heard it's pretty much open to any tribes in the area…Of course not many people would go out of their way just to celebrate with strangers."

Gaara nodded his head in understanding. So, he had no reason to hide, but he didn't want to be too conspicuous.

"What exactly am I watching her for?"

Neji spared him another quick glance. "Truthfully, I'm not so sure. But I do know that she's in danger."

"So the Council approved of this without properly explaining it to you?"

"Actually," Neji mumbled. "The Council isn't aware of anything going on right now."

No sooner than the words had left the boy's mouth had Gaara frozen. Noticing the absence of footsteps behind him, Neji stopped as well and turned to face his companion.

"They don't know?" Gaara asked as if the words were too bizarre to comprehend. "What do you mean they don't know? I can't be summoned unless the Council approves of it."

Neji watched as anger quickly replaced the redhead's panic. Without realizing it, he took a few steps back.

"No, they don't know," he said calmly.

Gaara looked at him strangely, though anger was still evident upon his face. "You summoned me on your own?"

Neji nodded. "I would have consulted the council first but there was no time! I've already told you that she's in danger, and with everyday that passes by, that danger grows. I promise you that I'll inform the council about this later, but first we need to get you to the Nwoye village."

"No," Gaara said defiantly; his hoarse voice was hostile.

"What?"

"No," he said again. "How can I trust you? You haven't even consulted the Council. So what if this girl is in danger? If it poses no threat to _us _then I have no reason to be here." All this was said in a quiet whisper. Gaara's eyes had become hard as stone, glinting predatorily with each strike of lightening in the distance.

If this is some sort of last resort to save a_** human **_wretch that you've become infatuated with," his eyes narrowed, "then you should have never dragged me into this."

"Gaara," Neji called just as the redhead had turned to walk away. "That's just it. She's been _**there**_." Gaara froze once again. "She's been there more than once."

"When you say there…do you mean _**Misuteri**_?"

"Yes," Neji said solemnly. "Gaara, I think the Nut are after her."

"…The Nut wouldn't be interested in a mere girl."

Neji unconsciously fondled the purple blossom in his hands. He was nervous. Without Gaara, then everything would fail.

"They attacked her," was his reply.

Gaara reluctantly turned to face the brunette again, his eyes slightly narrowed against the light rain that had begun to fall. For a long moment the two watched each other, never uttering a word. Lightening flashed around them, and the rain began to pour. Finally, Neji spoke.

"There's an outcropping a little ways ahead. We'll take shelter there." Without waiting for a response, he turned and began to lightly jog through the forest.

After a few minutes of travel a large wall of stone came into view, and a hole about the size of two men became apparent on its face. Neji quickly pulled himself into the hole both grateful for the dryness and for the safety of his flower from the pelt of rain. When the sound of Gaara's labored breaths reached him over the noise of the storm, he crawled farther away from the entrance so that the sickly boy could take shelter himself.

He watched as the red head rolled into the small cave with difficulty– a pang of pity stabbing at his chest. The strange boy before him led a hard and unpleasant life. A life that Neji would never had wished upon anyone. He suppressed the shudder that ran down his spine at the thought and quickly averted his eyes.

Gaara, seemingly guessing his companion's train of thought, frowned slightly before breaking into a fit of coughs. The harsh sounds filled the tiny space, easily drowning out the sounds of the outside world, and Neji's pity quickly turned to aching guilt.

"I'm sorry I summoned you," he said quietly.

Several long seconds passed before the coughing subsided. "…I'll forgive you if what you say is true."

"It is!" Neji exclaimed. "There's something special about her."

Gaara looked on in curiosity. Maybe he really was infatuated with this "Sakura".

Neji, noticing the strange look quickly jumped to his own defense.

"I gave her the _sancti_ blossom, Gaara."

Gaara's eyes widened. "Why did you do something like that?"

"To protect her of course," Gaara raised a brow. "At the time I wasn't entirely sure, so I just gave her assistance on a whim."

Gaara coughed lightly into his hand. "You do realize that even if she does need any protection, you gave her the weakest kind?"

"I already told you. I wasn't sure at the time, so I gave her the bare minimum."

"…If she is in danger the blossom's power will have disappeared by nightfall…And if she wasn't in danger your sudden interest will definitely have caught their attention by now."

"That's why I need you to go to the village tonight. It'll take me time to get something strong enough for the job, so until then you have to watch over her."

Gaara turned his attention to the freezing rain outside– _'A fire would have been nice.'_– shrugging as he did so. "You'll inform the council?"

Neji nodded.

"Well… it's not like I have something else to do."

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The sun was beginning to set, and the celebration would soon begin. All day the village had been filled with activity. Food was cooked in abundance, furs were washed and dried, hair and makeup along with decorations could be found easily in every home. In only a matter of hours the entire village had become a fantastical world bursting with colors and smells.

No one could wait for the joyous event to get underway and I of course was no exception. Unfortunately, throughout all of it, I was stuck at home with Sasuke.

As the day had progressed he had gotten gradually better. His fever had all but disappeared and he was finally able to get out of bed; at which point Mayuri deemed him well enough to help me clean the house while she and Yara, Thiago's mother, travelled to the Uchiha village. They were to be escorts for any who chose to join our gathering.

I was currently rubbing down my mother's cooking tools as Sasuke swept out the front room. Neither of us had spoken a word since Mayuri's departure and I intended to keep it that way. Although Sasuke's none-to-discreet glances screamed that he felt otherwise.

"How old are you?" He asked suddenly.

I spared him a glance, "Sixteen."

He seemed to consider this fact, going on about his chores as he had but a second ago. Not finding his behavior very interesting I moved on to wiping off the small wooden table.

"So, we have a year left before the wedding?"

I sighed heavily, "Yes."

I finished cleaning the table and was satisfied to see that the fire pit was the only thing left to wash out. Putting away the rough rag I'd used on the table, I quickly turned to head for the door.

Sasuke was before me in an instant.

"There are a lot of things we need to talk about," he said.

I blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Our home..." He was staring at the ground. "In my tribe, it's customary for the future-husband to build a new house– no," here he shook his head, "a new _**home**_ for his wife and family…I'll have to start building it soon."

I had an awful urge to ask what any of that had to do with me. But when he finally met my eyes I remembered the night before when Sasuke had walked at my side, his voice bursting with restrained passion about our future together. I remembered the slight hopeful look on his face, his embarrassment. I remembered that he wasn't my enemy.

"I didn't know that," I finally said.

"So, if there's anything that you had in mind…just tell me and I'll try to work it into the construction."

I nodded. An awkward moment followed in which Sasuke continued to gaze intently at me. I found that his eyes were frighteningly dark, and that to look away was impossible.

"Sasuke…," I started, taking a step back as he took one forward.

"We need to start sometime," he said huskily. My breath was harsh now. Sasuke must have taken it for elation, excitement for he took another step closer.

It was fear.

"Sasuke…," I started again. There was now a hint of panic in my voice. He took another step forward.

I wanted to scream.

I was going to scream.

I would have screamed.

But then I noticed it.

It was a strange feeling, one I'd experienced a few times before – the feeling of being watched. The sensation was so strong that I momentarily forgot about my fiancé. I shivered. Sasuke brought himself close to me, rubbing against my neck. Unlike before he'd realized my shiver was from fear, but he'd misunderstood – I wasn't afraid of him.

"Don't worry," he whispered. "I know this seems sudden, but––"

"Sasuke!"

The two of us flew apart.

Itachi stood in the doorway with a look of disgust in his eyes. A lock of hair stuck to his forehead, plastered there by sweat, giving him a comical yet overly intimidating look. I blushed at having been caught in such a position by him.

I quickly glanced at Sasuke, who was glaring daggers at his brother. He obviously wasn't embarrassed.

"Please, excuse us princess." Itachi's voice left no room for argument. I nodded. Inside, I was happy to have an excuse to leave Sasuke alone, but I hid it as best I could when I passed him by.

As soon as the grass curtain fell behind me I broke into a sprint. My mind was racing, though instead of thoughts of a certain Uchiha I found myself thinking back on that strange feeling. A strange feeling that I'd felt more than once in the past few hours.

Many people stopped to look on in confusion at me, their distressed princess, – some calling out to me in worry. But I needed comfort. True comfort.

'_Kagali, Thiago, where are you guys?'_

I kept running. I kept thinking.

_That_ had been hours ago. The sun was invisible now. The sky streaked with dying streaks of light blue that would soon completely disappear leaving only a curtain of black speckled with stars, and the person who I still felt watching had yet to attack.

I currently sat with Kagali and Thiago around a small kitchen fire in the Nezs' hut. The entire scene was warm and inviting for I hadn't been with both my friends like this for a long time.

"So what did you have to tell us?" Kagali asked. "This morning at the falls you said you had something important to talk to us about."

Thiago looked on in curiosity, gently sipping at the small wooden cup of tea in his hands. I could tell that he wanted answers to his own questions as well.

"Kagali," she blinked at me. "I think I've found your _shadows_."

Thiago choked on his tea. "What? Sakura please don't encourage her."

"I'm serious," I hissed. "The day you and Sasuke found me I met a boy, Neji."

Kagali watched me with careful eyes, taking in my expression. "And you think that this boy is one of my _shadows_?"

I wanted to cry out at the way she spoke to me. She acted as if she wasn't the one who cried everyday over her mysterious dark figures.

"Yes," I said smartly. They both seemed wary at my sudden proclamation. "Thiago, don't you remember the strange bandages?" I asked desperately.

He nodded slowly, "But that doesn't have anything to do with this."

"What bandages?" Kagali asked.

I scowled and ignored her. "Then what about the words," I said more urgently. Thiago winced at the memory, while Kagali who realized that she was being left out only became more irritated.

"What words?" She whined. I quickly lifted my dress slightly to reveal the angry red words upon my hip. Kagali gasped, and for a moment I thought I heard a masculine grunt, but Thiago hadn't made a sound.

With the atrocity of my strange wound hanging in the air, we all quieted considerably.

"Where did you get that?" Kagali whispered.

"Thiago, Kagali," they leaned forward in concentration. "The day I went missing I found the most beautiful place," I said in a low voice. "A lagoon with icy blue waters and thousands of flowers, and on the water were a bunch of miniature islands with the largest trees growing on them." They exchanged a quick glance.

"Honey," Kagali sighed. "This is the Amazon, just about everything looks that way. Now tell me where you got that wound from."

I frowned. "No, trust me. It was different. You'd have to see it to understand, but that's where I met the boy." I quickly went through the tale with them, explaining everything up to my adventure that morning, only leaving out the feeling of being watched that still plagued me.

"So, you went back there to get your bag?" Thiago asked.

I nodded. "And when I got there the same words had been carved into the entrance."

Kagali looked uneasy. "Maybe we should tell your father," she suggested.

"I'm not so sure," Thiago said. "How would he react to something like this?"

"But we do need help. We haven't got a clue as to what's going on," I added.

Thiago was thoughtful for a moment. He stared down at his tea and then looked back up at me. His eyes rested on my hip where the painful words were hidden by cloth.

"Take us to this place," he said finally.

Something shot through me at the words, stealing my breath from me in an instant. I didn't know why, but I didn't want to bring them _there_. That place was mine. Mine's…and Neji's. I suddenly wished I hadn't told them anything.

"Yeah," Kagalli said, "why not?"

I opened my mouth to speak, but I was saved.

**/BUMBUMBAMBOOMRURURUWHAM/ **

The three of us jumped at the sound of the drums playing up a frenzied rhythm. The drums were always played not only during but an hour before a celebration officially began as well. People would begin to arrive from the Uchiha village soon and the party would begin even though it was still too early.

"It's almost time," Thiago said standing from his seat. "You two should go and get ready." Outside the hut the sounds of people milling about got louder. Voices raised that cheered and sang.

"Come on Sakura," Kagali said, pulling my arm. Both of them had quickly forgotten about Thiago's suggestion. I was happy about this. I didn't want to have to explain why I wouldn't take them.

I rose to my feet, allowing myself to be pulled. "We'll see you in a little bit," I called back to Thiago.

More people were out and about than I'd first thought. The dirt roads were already crowded and the sound of music and chatter filled the air. I found it easy to forget my troubles in such mayhem. But then I felt it again. I was being watched.

I roughly pulled away from Kagali's grip and turned around to search for whoever it was that had been following me.

I'd expected it to be difficult to find my pursuer for I had failed every other time that day. But there he was; a boy about my age standing dangerously close to one of the many fires that had been lit throughout the village…and he was staring straight at me. His features could only be described as exotic. Piercing green eyes, a shade I'd never seen before – jade –, were unwavering in their focus. The flames that threatened to engulf him brought the paleness of his skin into stark relief. He was tall and lean, but somehow he seemed…insignificant, weak,…sickly. I was amazed to find that his hair, a beautiful crimson, was brighter than the fire itself.

Who _was_ this boy?

"Do you know that guy?" Kagali asked from beside me.

I jumped. I'd forgotten she was there. "No," I said nervously. She gave me a strange look. "I've just…never seen someone who looks like that before." A truth and a lie all in one.

"Hey where'd he go?" Kagali asked suddenly. She was looking in the direction where the boy had been.

I turned and found that he was indeed gone. A feeling of unease ran through me. The memory of running towards the icy blue pool as Neji yelled behind me was instantly forced into my mind. Something rubbed deliberately against my back, and I almost screamed when I saw that Kagali had left me amongst the crowd in favor of calling out to someone. Who was behind me? Something glinted just out of the corner of my eye in the weak light of the festivities. My heart began to hammer in my chest.

And suddenly that exotic boy was there, his eyes haunting in the darkness. And he was running towards me, frown on his face, something red and dripping running from between his fingers.

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Once again sorry it took so long to update, but I've decided that it's Christmas Time and I should at least try to give my readers a present. Hoped you liked it! Please R&R.


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